Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

बहुधौषधदानैश्च सत्रदानैरनेकशः । ग्रीष्मे प्रपार्थद्रविणैर्हेमंतेग्निष्टिकेंधनैः

Transliteration

bahudhauṣadhadānaiśca satradānairanekaśaḥ | grīṣme prapārthadraviṇairhemaṃtegniṣṭikeṃdhanaiḥ

Translation

By many gifts of medicines, and by numerous endowments for free feeding-houses (sattras); by providing resources for water-stations in the summer, and by supplying fuel for fires in the winter—one performs season-appropriate charity in Kāśī.

Word by Word

• बहु-ध-औषध-दानैः: with gifts of many medicines
• बहु-ध-औषध-दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + ध (अव्यय/उपपद ‘many kinds’) + औषध (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘gifts of many medicines’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• सत्र-दानैः: with gifts for charitable feeding (satra)
• सत्र-दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘donations for charitable feeding/almshouse (satra)’

• अनेकशः: in many ways
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘in many ways/many times’

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• प्रपार्थ-द्रविणैः: with provisions/wealth for travellers (at water-stations)
• प्रपार्थ-द्रविणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘for travellers/wayfarers’/‘at water-sheds’) + द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘resources/wealth for travellers (at prapā)’

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अग्निष्टिक-इन्धनैः: with firewood/fuel (for fires)
• अग्निष्टिक-इन्धनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘fuel for fire/for fire-places’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī lane near ghāṭs: a satra serving food in leaf-plates; a healer distributing herbs; a summer prapā with earthen pots and ladles; winter scene with a fire-pit and stacked firewood offered to travelers.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• satra (free feeding)
• prapā (water station)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True charity is compassionate and timely—relieving suffering through medicine, food, water in heat, and warmth in cold—especially in a sacred city.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where dharmic public service is praised as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Auṣadha-dāna (medicine), satra-dāna (free feeding), prapā support in summer, and indhana-dāna (fuel) in winter.